السيفُ أَبْهى للعُلا

والحَزْمُ أَبْلَغُ فِي المَدى

The sword is most eloquent in the highlands,

And patience most effective in the long run.

وشَرَائِعُ الحَقِّ الَّذِي

يَمَّمْتَ أَهْدى لِلْهُدى

The precepts of truth which you have resolved

To follow are the best guides to guidance.

وعواقِبُ الأَيَّامِ أَوْ

لَى أَنْ يَفِينَ لِمَنْ وَفى

The days' sequences are certainly

Most fair to him who is faithful.

والغَدْرُ أَقْبَحُ مَا تَزَو

وَدَ مَنْ دَنا أَوْ مَنْ نَأَى

Treacherous cunning is foulest of all

That creeps into souls of intimate or stranger.

لو تَغْدِرُ الشَّمْسُ انْتَهَتْ

فِي دُونِ مقدارِ السُّها

If the sun played traitor from the sky,

In less than the twinkling of an eye all would perish.

أَو دَبَّ غَدْرٌ فِي الجِبا

لِ لَعُدْنَ أَمثالَ الحَصى

Or if the hills betrayed their awful trust

And brought avalanches crashing down like pebbles without number,

وإِقالَةُ العَثَراتِ أَحْ

يا لِلنُّفوسِ مِنَ الرَّدى

To forgive frailties is best

For saving the spirit from endless loss.

نَفْسٌ إذَا أَحْيَيْتَها

فكأَنَّمَا تُحْيِي الوَرى

When you give life to a soul, it is as if

You gave life to all the world.

واللهُ قَدْ ضَمِنَ الجَزَا

ءَ لِكُلِّ مُقْتَدِرٍ عَفا

God has decreed that every wilful wrong

Shall carry its punishment, though the doer be undetected.

وهُوَ الَّذِي أَوْحى بأَن

نَ العَفْوَ أَقْرَبُ لِلتُّقى

And He revealed that forgiveness is closer to piety

Because it is best for peace.

وسَلامُ منْ يُسْمِي السَّلا

مَ عَلَيْكَ مَا مَتَعَ الضُّحى

Peace be with you always,

As dawn gives peace and fullness to the breaking day.